Hakeem Olajuwon’s Clear Lake mansion to host upscale weddings

Exclusive brides- and grooms-to-be can now say their vows in the shadow of a mansion owned by basketball hall-of-famer Hakeem Olajuwon.

The retired Rockets player started a luxury clothing line and opened his invite-only flagship DR34M store earlier this year, setting up shop in the historic 1929 Jim West mansion on the banks of Clear Lake, off Nasa Road 1. Now, Olajuwon is getting into the wedding and event business with the help of Eric Lookofsky and George Whaley of Kingwood’s Castle Events.

But just as it takes a special kind of client (very high-end) to shop in person at DR34M, only clients who have been thoroughly vetted by Castle Events will gain access to the West property for a tour, Lookofsky said. Criteria listed in the Castle Events marketing materials state that the prospective client must have set a wedding date and must have a budget that will cover the cost of the property rental and associated vendors.

Lookofsky said the vetting process protects property owners, some of whom live on the properties that host events, from heavy visitor traffic if the visitors are not serious about booking the property.

“Many properties can expect to charge up to $20,000 for a Saturday event,” a Castle presentation states, although a specific price for events at the West mansion is not listed. Lookofsky said he and Whaley have yet to set a price for that property.

Lookofsky and Whaley will hold an open house for high-end event planners and clients on June 23, but it’s invite only. Interested parties can go to mycastleevent.com to sign up.

A wedding package at Olajuwon’s property includes the mansion’s outdoor areas, plus limited indoor space, including the foyer and rooms for the bride and groom. The front and back porch is also available, and the mansion has on-site parking.

Castle also books events a the historic Ross Sterling mansion in Morgan’s Point, built in 1927 as a second home for the late Texas Gov. Ross Sterling. The mansion overlooks Galveston Bay and was designed to look like a smaller version of the White House.

Click through the slideshow to see photos of the West and Sterling mansions.

Nice place, beautiful really, but it’s smack dab in the middle of swampy suburban clear lake. If the guests like views of chainlink fences, strip malls, and office buildings I guess more power to ‘em. If I had the cash and the inclination for a lavish wedding I’d probably pick a more scenic location.

Absolutely the smartest move with this property. I’ve driven it past it many times and and hoped that whomever owned it wouldn’t tear it down. The view, architecture, history and estate grounds make an excellent event venue.